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poco

PO-koˈpoko

few, little

Also: scant, meager
A nearly empty bookshelf with only a few books on one shelf, illustrating the concept of 'few'.

📝 In Action

Hay pocos coches en la calle hoy.

A1

There are few cars on the street today.

Tengo poca paciencia para estas cosas.

A2

I have little patience for these things.

Recibimos pocas quejas sobre el servicio.

B1

We receive few complaints about the service.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • poca gente – few people
  • poco tiempo – little time
  • pocos amigos – few friends

little, not very

Also: not much, slightly
A person whispering very quietly to another person, illustrating the idea of doing something 'a little'.

📝 In Action

Hablo poco, pero escucho mucho.

A1

I speak little, but I listen a lot.

Mi abuela duerme poco por la noche.

A2

My grandmother sleeps little at night.

El hotel está un poco lejos del centro.

A2

The hotel is a little far from the center.

Es un actor poco conocido.

B1

He is a not very well-known actor.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • escasamente (scarcely)

Antonyms

Idioms & Expressions

  • poco a poco – little by little, gradually
  • por poco – almost, nearly

few

Also: not many
Out of a large crowd of people, only a few are raising their hands, representing the pronoun 'few'.

📝 In Action

Muchos empiezan el curso, pero pocos lo terminan.

B1

Many start the course, but few finish it.

—¿Necesitas más galletas? —No, gracias, con estas pocas es suficiente.

A2

—Do you need more cookies? —No, thanks, with these few it's enough.

De todos mis amigos, pocos viven cerca.

B1

Of all my friends, few live nearby.

Word Connections

Antonyms

a little bit of

Also: some, a little
A hand adding a small pinch of salt into a cooking pot, illustrating 'a little bit of'.

📝 In Action

¿Quieres un poco de agua?

A1

Do you want a little bit of water?

Necesito un poco de silencio para concentrarme.

A2

I need a little bit of silence to concentrate.

Añade un poco de sal a la sopa.

A1

Add a little bit of salt to the soup.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • un montón de (a ton of, a lot of)

Common Collocations

  • un poco de todo – a little bit of everything
  • un poco de suerte – a little bit of luck

🔀 Commonly Confused With

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🗣️ Practice in a Tongue Twister

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: poco

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'poco'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
poquito(a tiny bit) — Noun / Adverb
poquísimo(very little, hardly any) — Adjective / Adverb
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin word 'paucus', which meant 'few' or 'little'. It has kept a very similar meaning over thousands of years.

First recorded: Around the 10th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: poucoItalian: pocoFrench: peu

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'poco' and 'pequeño'?

'Poco' is about quantity (a small amount), while 'pequeño' is about size (a small thing). You can have 'poca agua' (little water) in a 'vaso grande' (big glass).

When do I use 'un poco' versus just 'poco'?

'Un poco' usually means 'a little' and is neutral or even positive ('Sé un poco de francés' - I know a little French). 'Poco' by itself often means 'not much' or 'too little' and can sound more negative ('Sé poco de francés' - I know very little French).